


Christmas In July

by The_White_Wolf



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:49:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25048693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_White_Wolf/pseuds/The_White_Wolf
Summary: The Lance-Queen Family celebrates Christmas In July
Relationships: Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen
Comments: 7
Kudos: 13





	Christmas In July

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ray_Writes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ray_Writes/gifts).



> A special thanks to Okori for beta reading this. And I would like to dedicate this small fic to Ray_writes. Who had shown particular interest when I played with the idea way-back-when on the Lauriver discord channel. I hope you all enjoy it.

Between not being able for Oliver to make it to Central City to visit William for Christmas, they made arrangements with Samantha for Oliver to have his son for the first week or so in Star, with his father's family.

Oliver had decorated the loft with Christmas decorations and had various Christmas songs from a variety of countries from Australia, China, and Russia.

Due to how hot it was during the day, her father and Oliver had decided to have a cold Christmas dinner, the ham, and all the meats were cold to eat, along with the many of the side salads.

Around the time that she had to pick up William from the train station, she ensured that he had William was safe and healthy from his trip, before asking him if he had a present for his father and aunt.

In the car, William opened up one bag to show that he had a small bottle of perfume, an expensive one at that for Thea, she suspected that his mother had chosen the perfume for him, but he admitted that he and his mother didn't know what his father would like.

Laurel bit her lip as she opened the glove-box and looked at her wrapped gift for her fiancee, it contained the two books. The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer. Laurel remembered how these two books were the only two texts that he had actually enjoyed studying during college. What was more impressive was that she was able to find these two books with soft leather covers. She grabbed a name tag and stuck it over her's, and handed the present to Oliver's son.

"Here, take this. I'll find something else to give your dad." Laurel said with a small wink and gently pushed the box towards him.

William looked so much like his dad at that moment looking at her with a stunned expression. "I can't…"

"You can."

She would have to make a stop at the liquor store and brave the temptation to buy herself a drink and ensure that she only gets on for Ollie.

"Thank you, Miss Lance," William said politely.

Laurel gave him a small smile, before turning her key in the ignition. "It's Laurel."

Laurel took William up to the loft, knocking on the door, and ensuring that Oliver knew that his son was there, she quietly left them to talk, and prepare his room, as she made her way to the closest liquor store. Keeping her hands close to her sides, in an almost stiff manner, she found a decent bottle of vodka and asked it to be wrapped.

Laurel eventually made her way up to her and Oliver's loft to hear Aussie Jingle Bells playing softly. It was likely something he picked up from Slade Wilson, trust Ollie to try to make the summer heat feel like Christmas.

Laurel turned to see her dad slightly bobbing up and down as he made his final preparations in the kitchen. Oliver was playing some sort of video game with his son, it must have been one of William's early Christmas presents. As she stepped in, she noticed that it was a fighting game based on the superheroes and villains that they and Team Flash have fought.

William was playing Barry, and Oliver was playing himself, and apparently Oliver in the game was not as tough as Barry in that reality.

When she moved over to the plastic Christmas tree and placed down the final couple of presents, as she did, she noticed Thea raising her brow at Oliver's present. She walked over, and in a hushed tone spoke, "You bought Ollie alcohol?"

Laurel gave her a small nod. "Yeah, the other present that I had ordered was lost in the mail, apparently. I had to make do, and get him something else."

Thea didn't look convinced but didn't call her out, instead of asking her if she was alright after going to purchase alcohol. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"It was hard, but I didn't get anything for myself, it was just for him." Thea smiled and rubbed her shoulder before she said that they were all there and could open their presents, and as Queen tradition, William's face lit up as he raced towards the tree, and grabbed his gifts to hand to his father, and aunt.

Thea look surprised that she had been given a gift, even more so at the perfume, while Ollie looked utterly shocked. Oliver's throat bobbed before he thanked his son. She felt her eyes sting but left them to help the father and son bond.

She gave her dad a cookbook that had recipes to maintain a healthy heart, and Thea was given a pass to the exclusive spa that had opened on the other side of town. Both thanked her, she was then given some new candles from Thea, and her dad had given her a new pair of boxing gloves since she had almost worn out her last pair.

Finally, Oliver was given his present from Laurel, and she felt her cheeks redden as his eyes searched hers after he opened it to find an expensive bottle of vodka. It was at that moment, she remembered, that Oliver had decided to no longer drink, as a form of solidarity with his wife-to-be and her father.

He thanked her, but his voice sounded hollow, though, by the looks of it, no one else had managed to catch it. Laurel was handed a small box with a small gold necklace and a small bird pendant. Laurel, teary-eyed, kissed Oliver thanking him for her present. They ate their Christmas lunch, pulled bonbons and read the jokes inside, and jumped at the craking sounds as they opened.

Laurel looked around at her family and felt that perhaps this was the first time in a very long time that she had actually enjoyed something that was domestic and safe. Normal.

Laurel after pulling her bonbon was awarded a small yellow paper crown, Oliver's was green, Thea's red, her dad's blue, and William had an orange one. After everything was tidied up, and her dad and Thea were taking their turns playing on the gaming console with William, Oliver approached her.

"Vodka?" He asked, as he gently guided her out to the balcony.

"Like I told Speedy, yours was lost in the mail, it will probably come soon…" She lied, and as soon as it came out of her mouth, the look her fiance gave her, told her that he knew that she was lying.

"I noticed that William gave me two books, bound in leather. The Illiad, and The Odyessy. I never told Samantha that I loved those stories. She always thought that I didn't care about anything beyond women and booze. Only you knew that I read those two epic poems. Only you, Laurel."

He then wrapped his arms around her, and Laurel followed suit, saying, "Thank you, Pretty Bird." He whispered, before he pulled back, and pressed his lips to hers. After he pulled back after a few beats, he rested his forehead against hers. "You gave up that precious gift for William, and risked your sobriety for me and my son?"

"We are a family, Ollie, and William is a part of that family, the past is the past. And I just wanted to make sure that you and he had a perfect Christmas, even if it is in this humid heat."

He kissed her again, before walking back inside, hand in hand, and sitting on a couch watching William play as his father, fighting her dad who was playing her. It was so strange and bizarre watching a character based on her fight Ollie. Despite the weirdness that was the video game, they were all enjoying themselves as a family.


End file.
